Im really curious how they will open the movie. These anthology movies in general. Also wondering what Alexandre Desplat is doing with SW material. I liked what he did on harry potter. A lot darker than what Williams originally did. So excited that we get to see this in like less then 6 months? Crazy. Is that even long enough to get good visuals done? lol. So quick.

Star Wars fans have been wondering: What is the wheel-shaped space station that an X-Wing squadron is seen attacking in Rogue One?

What you’re looking at is the Shield Gate, and the world below is Scarif, a tropical planet that is one of the Empire’s key military bases. Think of it as a galactic Los Alamos, the top-secret desert town where scientists and engineers built the first nuclear bomb during World War II.

Scarif is a gigantic version of that — a remote weapons development facility that is so precious to the Emperor that the entire planet is covered by an impenetrable force field.

“You can see the blue sheen surrounding the entire planet,” Rogue One co-producer John Swartz says. “The shield gate is the security. As Imperial ships and cargo comes through, it punches a hole in the shield so they can pass. The gate officer gives clearances as they give out their call signs.”

Scarif is a key part of what the filmmakers call “the Imperial security complex,” he added, making it the home base of Ben Mendelsohn’s Director Orson Krennic, head of the Empire’s special weapons division.

“It’s part of their military industrial complex. It’s not necessarily where the Death Star was constructed, but a lot of military research goes on there,” Swartz says. “That’s why Krennic spends time there. It’s the site of research, structural engineering, munitions and manufacturing, all rolled into one facility.”

In these shots, you see Rebel X-Wing fighters during the movie’s critical battle — attacking and breeching the gate as it skims the surface of the shield, opening a doorway into the planet’s atmosphere.

The goal of the Rebels is the basic plot of the movie: Secure the plans for the original Death Star.

While we long ago saw the final battles between the Rebels and the Empire, here we are seeing one of the first.

Vader says "Several transmissions were beamed to this ship by Rebel spies. I want to know what happened to the plans they sent you..." So I don't think the Rogue One folks physically take the plans to Leia and hand them to her.

No, I don't think they physically take them to her either. But a ship to ship transmission?

A young Leia could appear onscreen and maybe have a line or two of dialogue with the Rogue One crew. If they have pulled off Tarkin?

I'm thinking something between her and Jyn. Think Padme talking to Gunray in TPM on view screen but with a lot fewer lines.

Before Disney changed the canon, Leia comes into orbit of Toprawa. The plans are transmitted from the surface to the Tantive. The problem is that the Devastator was in the system waiting for whoever to come and get the plans (A New Hope NPR radio drama).

That's when the chase begins and leads right in A New Hope.

Something similar to this would be cool. Have the Devastator destroy the Rogue One ship just after they finish transmitting the data to the Tantive.

The shock of the scene would be seen through the faces of the Tantive's bridge crew.

I don't see the demise of the Rogue One crew being a impersonal as them simply being blown up in their ship.

Vader knows that several transmissions were beamed aboard the Tantive IV that's why he is having none of Leia's BS. I think we will see Vader witness the plans being stolen and personally hunt down the Rebel spies before going hard for the Tantive.